For this school year, students had to turn five on or before August 1 to be eligible for kindergarten enrollment. For the 2019-20 school year, the law has changed. Parents will now be able to send their child to school if his or her birthday falls on or before September 1. Since the law was…
I want first to say that by no means is this intended to support Betsy DeVos who currently serves as US Secretary of Education. Her appointment to this position is a slap in the face to educators and clearly shows the priority the current administration and those that confirmed her nomination. Betsy DeVos is as…
A recent Chalkbeat Indiana article brought attention to Indiana lawmakers who are taking steps to get rid of the CASA exam. The exam is a basic reading, writing, and math exam that evaluates the skills of freshman and sophomore education students. Why would we lower the bar for teachers of color while raising the bar…
Betsy DeVos has been arguably the most maligned member of the Trump administration outside of Trump himself. And given how polarizing the administration has been, that is saying a lot. Even before she took office, she was a lightning rod for controversy, and it showed in her confirmation hearings. Even so, DeVos appears to have…
If you have been following my writing, you should know that I do not support many school dress codes when it comes to the hair section. Every month, there is an incident involving a dress code violation over hair. The offender many times is a black student. “We are a culturally responsive school.” Sure you…
After spring break is the mad countdown to summer break. Summer is getting closer every single day. My twin sons have less than one month left of second grade. As much as they are ready for some relaxation this summer, I know I must keep their minds engaged too. Some parents scoff at the suggestion…
We know there is a teacher shortage, but it is helpful to know which subjects are hit the hardest. The 2017-18 Teacher Shortage Areas Nationwide Listing report from the U.S. Department of Education brings attention to those areas in an attempt to address these shortages. In the publication, there are three intended outcomes: Notify the…
When I first started writing education articles in January 2017, I sort of played it safe. I would take a stance here or there, but I didn’t want to ruffle too many feathers. I was concerned about what other educators would think, the educators who could determine whether or not I would get hired. I…
“I get no respect.” Rodney Dangerfield This is my 13th year as an educator. I made it past the ominous five-year mark where a lot of teachers bite the dust. I crossed the decade line with only a few bumps and bruises. This school year, I met a new challenge, one I did not see…
We all know that teachers often spend a lot of their money buying school supplies during the year. A lot of times teachers purchase supplies because they do not receive much support from their schools to purchase classroom supplies. The longer you teach, the more supply purchases add up over the years, and keeping up…